This invention relates to fluid-quantity gauging.
In some applications, such as aircraft fuel-gauging systems, it is necessary to determine the mass of fluid present, not just its height or volume. In such applications it is usual to measure the height at several locations, calculate the volume from knowledge of the shape of the tank, and then to compute the mass of fluid present using an indication of density. In ultrasonic gauging systems the indication of density may also be used in the height computation because the velocity of ultrasonic energy in fluid varies with its density. The indication of density may be provided by a densitometer mounted within the tank. Whilst the densitometer can provide an accurate indication of density it can only provide this indication at the location of the densitometer. There can be considerable variation in density due to temperature variation within the fluid (temperature stratification) or other physical conditions, such as variations in water content or chemical composition of the fluid at different heights.